By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/KENDRAPARA: Call it Kendrapara BJD Lok Sabha MP , Anubhav Mohanty giving tough time to BJP National VP Baijayant ‘Jay’Panda and his model turned entrepreneur wife Jagi Panda, who heads Odisha’s No-1 TV channel, OTV. The legal fight between MP Mohanty and former MP Panda, has not yet worried Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who never a missed a chance to grill the BJP National VP since his ouster from BJD before the 2019 polls.
“Filed a case for criminal defamation through Sri @ashwani_dube ji against @otvnews, Smt.@JagiPandaw/o: Sri @PandaJay and Sri @RADHAMADHAB80 for intentionally, knowingly, maliciously destroying my public image, reputation and defaming me by selling #FakeNews .Satyamev JayateFlag of India,” tweeted Anubhav Mohanty@AnubhavMohanty_
MP Mohanty filed the Criminal complaint under section 190/R/W section 200 of Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 for the offence committed by the accused under section 500 of the IPC.
In his petition he alleged “ The accused (OTV, Jagi Mangat Panda and Radha Madhav Mishra ) in connivance and conspiracy with each other and in order to harm the reputation , goodwill and respect of the Complainant have designed the fake stories and largely published and circulated it on social media News Channel (OTV) which has caused loss of mental peace, trauma and tremendous stress to the Complainant.”
“ The image of the Complainant has been tarnished by the accused persons jointly by publishing defamatory news. The complainant is a Member of Parliament and resides within the territorial jurisdiction of this honorable court. The witnesses also reside in Delhi. AS such, this Hon’ble court has jurisdiction to try, entertain and take cognizance of the present complain.”, the petition stated.
Anubhab also prayed the court to take cognizance, issue summons, try and punish the three accused person and or/other unknown persons whose names may be revealed during the investigation for the commission of offence under section 500 Indian Penal Code and issue directions to lodge an FIR against the three accused persons.
MP Mohanty accused the OTV of engaging in a witch-hunt against him, which he had earlier called “unfair and downright unprofessional”. The MP said that he was initiating legal proceedings under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code to “make the Channel answer for their mistakes”. He accused them of airing an unverified clip that supposedly throws doctors into the “crossfire”.
, “I understand the need to mimic one’s master’s knack for running unchecked propaganda, but here’s a reminder- this is ODISHA. If you want an indication of what happens to people who- mess with ODIAS- ask your friend who visited our Konark Temple,” the MP had said.
MP Mohanty had earlier alleged that the personal and political agenda of the media house, damaged Odisha’s development.“I know that few might not agree with me but trust me please, I’m honest. This OTV is deeply responsible for the delay in our motherland’s actual development only because of personal political dreams and personal political agenda,” Kendrapara MP, Mohanty had written in a Facebook post.
The MP Mohanty further went on to added in his social media post “I was someone who had an habit of asking hoteliers whether they have the facility of providing OTV channel in their rooms or not. Have paid extra several times to see the news by this particular channel. But later I realised extreme strongly that this is the worst channel ever in our motherland Odisha,”.
“I feel ashamed that in past I have even worked with them. I’m a responsible youth leader and I can never ever dare to mislead my youth of Odisha. I just want to say them with every sincerity, love and honesty, let us all take an oath of banning this anti-Odisha News channel,” the BJD MP Mohanty had wrote.
